He Who is Taken
by Dannrose
Summary: After the death of Greil, Boyd seeks a moment of solitude away from the others. However, Izuka, wielding a strange magic unseen in Tellius, kidnaps him, launching the young fighter into another fight that could be beyond that which consumes Daein and Crimea. Soon, both Beorc and Laguz will have to face the reality of Summoners and their powers. AU from Greil's death.
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note:**_

 _ **Hello everyone and welcome to my first ever Fire Emblem story. Recently I've renewed my interest in FE 9 and 10 and I decided to create an AU around Boyd who's recently become one of my favourite characters. This AU will actually connect with a story I've started in the How to Train Your Dragon section and both of them are centred around Final Fantasy summonings existing in those universes. Basically, both stories will lead to a third one that will be something of a three-way crossover though how long it takes me to get there is yet to be seen.**_

 _ **This story goes AU after Greil is killed by the Black Knight so until that point, the story will be exactly the same as in the game. After that, things will divert and different characters will end up playing different roles. I hope you all enjoy the chapter.**_

 _ **I do not own any aspect of Fire Emblem nor Final Fantasy.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

Boyd sat alone in the Gallian forest, much further from the fort than he should've been.

He hadn't intended to wander so far, he just needed space and quiet as he tried to process everything that had happened.

Commander Greil dead, Shinon and Gatrie deserting them, it was all collapsing upon them so fast he didn't know what to do and how Ike was managing to remain so calm and understanding he had no idea. When he'd gone after the archer and the knight alongside Oscar, he'd wanted to vent his anger by pounding them into the dirt but his brother had held him back. It had been more than rage at them leaving, it had also been anger at the one who'd killed the Commander and at himself. What if he'd been there alongside them? What if they'd all been there? These questions echoed round his mind and had driven him to solitude.

He never thought hard about things, he acted, diving in headfirst with recklessness and little planning. He spoke without thinking and it often made him appear dense (as pointed out by more than one person) but now, he couldn't stop thinking, couldn't stop wondering how things might've been different.

He sighed sadly.

Commander Greil had taken him and his brothers in after their father died and Rolf's mother abandoned them, being a part of the Greil Mercenaries had helped them earn their living and given them a family, a life they'd never had lived otherwise. To lose the man hurt them all and Boyd knew it would take a long time to get used to the fact that Greil was no longer with them.

With another sigh, he stood.

He'd been gone for far longer than he'd meant to be and with everything that had happened, he was sure Oscar would be getting worried. The night's events had reminded them all of the dangers of their lives and he knew his older brother would be wanting to keep him and Rolf closer than usual, in all honesty, it put them all more at ease.

He was about to start heading back when instincts gained from a life of fighting caused him to stop and listen.

He was sure someone was in the surrounding trees watching him but he entirely lacked the skills to pinpoint where they were. He scanned the forest, trying to pick out a giveaway as to where his observer was, while mentally cursing the fact he'd left his axe at the fort.

A classic 'Boyd mistake'.

He should've known better than to wander so far unarmed but he just hadn't been thinking, hopefully it was just a worried Oscar who'd come out searching for him.

There was a rustling sound and Boyd fixed his eyes on its origin as a strange man skulked out into view.

He was dressed in the plain grey robes of a scholar but there was an air of malice and darkness about him. His long dark grey hair was untended and he had a small hunch to his shoulders, a heavy looking, ornately decorated book was under his arm and Boyd was sure it was a magic tome but not one he'd ever seen before. The man's malicious, beady eyes stared unnervingly at him and the young mercenary instinctively went on guard.

The man spoke in a grating voice, "Finally!"

"Who are you?"

Boyd nearly winced at the tremor of fear in his own voice, he didn't know what it was but there was something off about this man, something that scared him, whether he wanted it to or not.

The man cackled sinisterly, as if his question had been some amusing joke, "I am Izuka, and you have the honour of assisting me in my work of unparalleled genius!"

Boyd took a step back, whatever Izuka wanted, he was certain it wasn't anything he wanted to be a part of. Whatever was off about this man seemed to increase with that statement and he had to get away, with no weapon and the man holding an unknown tome, retreat was both sensible and desired.

Spinning around, the young fighter started to sprint away in the direction of the fort, trying to get as far away from Izuka as possible. As he ran, he heard the man shout one, commanding word.

"Stop!"

Boyd had no intention of stopping but as if ordered by that one word, his whole body froze, leaving him stuck mid-run like some bizarre statue. He tried to force his limbs to move but it was if something was keeping them in place, not even his eyes could move. He wasn't even breathing and nothing he tried got his body to do anything, it was as if it was frozen solid, with only his mind and senses still active.

He heard Izuka approaching, speaking as if he was delivering a simple lecture, "This is a special spell of mine that allows me to freeze a single target in place. While their senses remain active, their actual body is frozen in time, halting the need for all physical functions, though only very temporarily." The man stood in front of him, "This is only one of the myriad of effects I can inflict upon the fools I must suffer, I can also poison, petrify, paralyze, blind and many more. Spells that only a genius like myself can use effectively."

Boyd suddenly found himself able to blink and he felt his lungs instinctively start to breath, indicating that the bizarre spell was wearing off. He tried his best to hide it, hoping he could surprise Izuka and escape when he could move again but the man smirked, "I'm well aware of the fact that the spell is about to wear off boy and I have come prepared."

Suddenly, he was surrounded by a gang of hired thugs and the young fighter knew he was not getting away, the moment he was free from the spell, he was grabbed and held. He opened his mouth to yell, desperately hoping one of the others would hear him, but Izuka was prepared for that too.

"Silence!"

No matter how hard he tried, how wide he opened his mouth nor how much strength he put into it, he couldn't produce a sound, it was as if his very voice had been stolen. Izuka cackled again, "Yet another wonderful spell I've mastered! As even you can tell, this one prevents you from being able to use your voice but unlike Stop, it doesn't wear off unless it is cured."

Boyd's eyes widened in alarm at the thought of being mute permanently but he had no time to think on it further as Izuka was speaking once more, "Of course, I plan on returning your voice to you, this is simply a part of my brilliant plan to take you away from your allies. You're vital to my glorious schemes."

He turned away but continued speaking as if to himself, "Hah! That fool Ashnard believes the strong should rule but he has no inkling of what strength is. He doesn't know what lies beyond his war, beyond humans and sub-humans. My research confirms there are far greater things than what he knows and there is coming a breed of people that will make that all the more apparent." He waved his thugs away, "Get the boy out of here! I'm blazing a trail of greatness and we must get to work."

Obediently, the men roughly hauled Boyd away but as they dragged him off, the young fighter heard Izuka muttering behind him.

"Yes, a trail of greatness indeed, I'll show them all what is coming, what powers are about to be revealed. I'll show them your might Doomtrain!"

* * *

 _ **PS-So Izuka has appeared in a very different role from the game and events are heading in different directions. Please let me know what you thought and I'll hopefully update soon.**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's Note:**_

 _ **Hello and welcome to the second chapter. This time, we see some of Boyd's captivity as well as what's going on with the rest of the Greil Mercenaries. I hope you all enjoy the chapter.**_

 _ **I own nothing.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

"The King wants to see you. We are here to guide you to the royal palace."

Oliver had stayed out of the conversation that came after the two laguz came to their aid and beat back Daein's assault on the fort but at Lethe's words, he stepped in, "Commander, we can't leave yet. Boyd is still missing!"

The young warrior had vanished sometime during the night and they were all just about to search for him when Daein's soldiers had attacked, Oscar had been hard-pressed to remain focused on the battle with his brother missing and he'd prayed that Boyd would come through everything unscathed.

Ike nodded at him, "Right." He faced the two laguz again, "One of our company vanished before the battle started, we need to find out what happened to him."

Lethe simply nodded silently while Mordecai's face creased with concern, "Mordecai can help with the search."

The young commander wasted no time giving orders, "Thank you. Titania, Oscar, search to the north and the east, stay together and keep alert, we don't know how many Daein soldiers may still be out there, me and Soren will take the south and west."

Eager to be searching, Oscar answered briefly, "Yes Commander."

As he turned and hurried out of the fort, Titania close behind, he heard Soren speaking to their leader, "Ike, if Boyd was out there then it's likely the Daein soldiers have already killed him."

Oscar ignored his words and kept going, not wanting to think that way.

* * *

Beyond the Gallian border, in the recently conquered Crimea, Boyd was being taken further and further away from his family.

As he'd said he would, Izuka had removed the Silence spell via the use of some foul-tasting potion but it did him little good, being able to use his voice again would not get him out of his predicament, he was now well beyond the hearing range of his comrades. Eager to get far away from the remaining Greil Mercenaries, Izuka and his men pushed their steeds hard and were not appearing to stop anytime soon.

Boyd was stuck on a monster of a horse, with a monster of a man sat behind him who was clearly there to keep him from trying to escape, it was the man who had control of the reins leaving the young fighter little choice but to accept where he was being taken. Surrounding them were about six other men, each with their own mount, while Izuka was sat awkwardly on a horse up at the front of the group. The mage would often be muttering to himself but Boyd couldn't hear what he was saying, everyone else seemed to be used to it and didn't react but he could see them occasionally giving their captive odd looks as if they were trying to work out why their leader needed some random Crimean mercenary.

The men themselves seemed capable fighters, the Greil Mercenaries were far from the only mercenary group around (though they were one of the few with a moral code) so it was likely these men were hired by Izuka. They had no colours which tied them to any country but that didn't mean they weren't somehow working for Daein, however, that didn't explain why they'd kidnapped him.

They'd ridden in silence the entire journey but suddenly, the man riding beside Izuka spoke almost tentatively to the mage, "Sir, we should make camp soon. The horses will run out of strength if we don't stop, we should be more than far enough away from the boy's company."

Izuka snapped his head around at the man, "What! Oh, yes, I was just contemplating the very same thing. We'll halt at the next suitable site."

He resumed his muttering while the mercenary (who Boyd guessed was the group's commander) swiftly nodded and called commands back to his men, "There's a good campsite with a stream just ahead, we'll set camp there and resume our journey first thing tomorrow."

The group gave various noises of assent and soon, said campsite came into view. With ease, the men dismounted and began setting up camp, naturally taking various jobs and further demonstrating their experience. The man sat behind Boyd dismounted and hauled him off before dragging him over to Izuka and the commander, the mercenary leader spoke in a warning tone, "I'll only say this once boy so listen up. If you behave we'll treat you decently but there will be severe repercussions if you try to escape or otherwise cause trouble. Stay quiet and obedient and this'll be a hell of a lot smoother for you."

Izuka leered at him, "And just remember that I can stop you with but a single word should you try and run. Attempt an escape and I'll inflict any number of aliments upon you."

The commander nodded dismissively, "Now, go help water the horses and know that we're all keeping an eye on you."

The hulking man, who seemed to be his assigned guard, began pushing him towards the horses but a last speech from Izuka halted them.

"Oh, if you're hoping that your group of sellswords will come after you, I made sure to throw them off our trail."

* * *

As he and Titania searched Gallia's forests, Oscar was growing increasingly worried.

He knew that Boyd had left his axe in the fort and he desperately hoped his brother hadn't encountered the Daeins while unarmed. If they were lucky, the soldiers might have missed him entirely or the fighter had hidden himself until he was sure it was safe to retreat to the fort. If they were unlucky, Boyd might've been captured by Daein forces meaning they'd have to rescue him or it was the worst-case scenario, which Oscar really didn't want to consider.

Keeping alert for any remaining Daein troops, he and Titania scoured the forest, determined to find the missing fighter. Oscar could tell the red-headed paladin was as worried as he was, Titania had become something of a mother figure to the younger members, especially since all of them didn't have their real mothers anymore. While they usually treated her as the Deputy Commander she was, it was moments like this where her more motherly side came out, a worried frown was etched on her features and he was certain she was praying that Boyd was safe the way he was.

The heavy smell of blood reached their nostrils and they both shared a single, fearful look before running towards the smell. As they ran, Oscar prayed frantically, hoping that they wouldn't find what they were fearing. Perhaps it wasn't Boyd, perhaps he was injured but only a simple staff wave away from being fine!

It was a mess.

Blood was everywhere and the ground was churned up indicating a huge struggle, the heavy metallic scent of death hung over the air and it would've made many gag or throw-up at the smell, Oscar and Titania however had been in many fights and had long since learned to ignore the gore that came with battle.

But maybe not this time.

The body that was the source of the blood was unrecognisable, it had been hacked and smashed so much none of its distinguishing features were left but there were certain items that identified who it was.

A pair of shoulder plates, battered and dented, lay amongst the remains. Scraps of red cloth and the leather straps that had held it in place were scattered throughout. Bits of overly familiar green, from trousers Oscar had mended many times before, could also be seen and a bloodstained headband sat in the middle, confirming the ruthless, harsh reality.

Beside him, Titania let out a sob, "No, not Boyd as well, this can't be!"

Oscar could only stare, his body numb and his voice gone as all his hopes, all his prayers crashed down around him.

* * *

Darkness had fallen upon the continent and Boyd sat staring into the fire, contemplating his situation.

As promised, his kidnappers had treated him decently so long as he behaved, he had freedom of movement and could roam the camp within reason. Wherever he went, the same man would be close behind, making sure he didn't try anything and he'd get a growled warning if he went too close to any sort of weapon. All in all, it wasn't too bad as far as captivity went, he wasn't restrained or locked in some dingy cell and he was getting decent meals, but he was still a captive and he didn't know why they wanted him.

The commander approached him and spoke curtly, "Izuka wants to see you boy."

Boyd obediently stood (he got dragged and shoved about a lot less that way) and followed the man to Izuka's private tent. The commander held the tent flap open and gestured inside, announcing his arrival as he did so, "Here's the boy sir."

The mage was squatting upon his bedroll like a gargoyle, pouring over a large tome, he looked up and smiled with a sinister eagerness, "Good, now leave us."

The commander did as ordered without a word and Boyd stood near the entrance, eyeing Izuka warily. The man put his tome aside and stood, he pointed to the centre of the tent, "Sit."

Knowing he didn't really have much choice, the young fighter did as commanded and the mage give another, brusque command, "Shirt off."

Boyd's eyes widened and he hesitated, this was seemingly heading in a direction he did not like and he was well aware of the fact he was a prisoner and this man was his captor. Izuka however, did not care for his concerns, "Do it now boy!"

His tone suggested consequences if he did not comply and Boyd clearly remembered Izuka saying that poisoning was in his magical abilities, slowly, the fighter removed his shirt. His shoulder plates, arm wraps and headband had been taken off him when he'd been kidnapped leaving him fully topless when he took off his shirt. He gripped the material in his hands and hunched over, feeling very exposed and nervous.

Izuka didn't seem to care and the man stared at him intensely, then, he slowly began to pace around his prisoner, his eyes moving as if searching for something. The longer this went on, the more nervous Boyd became and he gnawed his lip worryingly as the mage moved behind him.

Suddenly, the man stopped and let out a pleased exclamation, "Aha! Here it is."

Boyd turned his head around and saw Izuka staring at the back of his left shoulder, wearing a pleased expression as if some sort of theory of his had been confirmed, and the fighter frowned.

That was the place his birthmark was.

He'd been born with a mark upon his back that looked remarkably like some sort of symbol. His father had told him it was best to keep it hidden but his only explanation upon being asked why was only that people could mistake him for being a Branded, when Boyd asked him about it he'd simply said he'd tell him more 'when he was older'. His father had died before he'd reached 'older' and his questions about it slipped into the back of his mind, it was simply a birthmark.

So why was Izuka so interested in it?

The mage was muttering once more, seemingly too focused on the mark to care about his prisoner.

"It appears to be Diablos, I thought Odin or Gilgamesh would've been more likely due to the subject's warrior background but…yes…gravity magic…increased power…perfect! This will do nicely!"

Izuka shot over to a pile of books and began rifling through them, waving Boyd away dismissively, "Begone boy, I must look into this development."

The young mercenary whipped his shirt back on and hurried out of the tent, not wasting any time in getting away from the mage. The moment he was outside, he was accosted by the commander, "With me boy."

Not waiting for an answer, the man pulled him over to another tent and pushed him inside. Without ceremony, Boyd found his hands swiftly bound behind him and he was forced into a sitting position where they also bound his feet. The commander nodded in satisfaction, "This is to stop you trying anything while we sleep. We've a long journey ahead so rest up while you can."

Without another word, the commander strode out of the tent, leaving him sat there. The young fighter awkwardly lay down to rest, his mind trying to understand what Izuka wanted.

The mage was definitely interested in his birthmark and had mentioned something called Diablos, what these things meant he had no idea but he was certain he didn't want to know what Izuka was up to. He closed his eyes but his mind was still working.

He had to find some way to escape but despite his relative freedom, it was going to be difficult, that and he was miles away from the others without a fully clear idea of where he was. Travelling unarmed, with no provisions in a Daein occupied Crimea was going to be tough, even if he did find a way to get past both his alert captors and Izuka's strange magic.

He sighed, for now he needed rest, hopefully an opportunity would present itself soon.

* * *

 _ **PS-A little more information as to what's going on. Please let me know what you thought and I'll hopefully update soon.**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's Note:**_

 _ **Hello and welcome to the third chapter. This one sees the full appearance of one of the summonings as well as another character. Thank you, Ally Nicole Rose, for your follow and favourite and I hope you all enjoy the chapter.**_

 _ **I own nothing.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

A few days after his kidnapping, Boyd's captors came to a more permanent camp.

It belonged to the rest of the mercenary company that was holding him and they'd been waiting for Izuka and their commander to return. Several tents were scattered about the site and an old, small stone hut sat at the centre. Boyd was shoved towards it and unceremoniously tossed inside. The door slammed behind him and gave an audible click, indicating it had been locked, and the young fighter examined his prison.

It was a square room of stone with only a few blankets and a table as furnishings, the windows were narrow and high up the walls, letting in a bit of light but entirely useless for escape, sets of chains were hanging from the ceiling and Boyd was glad they weren't using those on him. In short, the place was a decent prison.

He leaned back against the door with a sigh.

It looked like he wasn't getting out anytime soon and now there were even more people around to stop him if he did escape his cell. Things were just getting more and more difficult.

A pair of familiar voices from outside caught his attention and he pressed his ear to the door, hearing Izuka's words.

"Have the scouts located our other objective?"

The commander answered, "Yes sir, he's being held at Canteus Castle. We'll need a larger force than what we took into Gallia for the boy if we want to get him."

"Of course, we will! That castle is being used to hold prisoners of war! It'll have a significantly large garrison stationed there." There was a pause as if the mage was thinking, then Izuka spoke again, "We'll take the majority of our men and leave a few behind to guard the camp and the boy."

"As you wish sir. It'll take several days to get to the castle and back, not including how long it'll actually take to complete our objective, we should leave first thing tomorrow."

"Then make sure they're ready to go, my genius cannot wait!"

As he heard them move off, Boyd smiled for the first time since he'd been kidnapped.

If they were about to take most of the mercenaries with them for several days, then this was the chance to escape. If he could slip away while they were gone, he could be far away before they knew he'd escaped, leaving him free as a bird. If he headed back to Gallia, he might even reunite with his brothers and the rest of the Greil Mercenaries!

Now far more hopeful, Boyd started to plan.

* * *

The camp was dark and quiet as night reigned over the world.

The majority of the mercenaries had left for Canteus Castle at dawn, leaving only the bare minimum to guard the camp and their captive. One of these guards ambled through the darkened tents, on his way to check on the prisoner.

The boy had been pretty quiet and submissive throughout his captivity and the guard found it surprising, he'd heard that the boy was a trained fighter and was even part of the renowned Greil Mercenaries, so he'd expected him to put up more of a fight. Instead, he'd been behaving himself and not attempting any sort of escape, he hadn't even kicked up a verbal fuss!

Because of this, the man was pretty relaxed, no doubt the boy would be soundly sleeping by now so this would be a quick check and then he could go and hit the hay himself.

He casually unlocked the cell door, expecting to find the prisoner fast asleep, and was suddenly pounced upon, a hefty fist collided with his head and knocked him spark out before he could even think about calling for help.

Slowly getting off the guard, Boyd stopped and listened, checking that no one had heard anything.

With everything seemingly clear, he grabbed the guard's arms and dragged into his former cell. Taking the keys, he locked the man inside and stole off through the camp, keeping alert for anyone else.

As he snuck towards the entrance, his eyes fell upon a wagon which contained a variety of supplies. Nipping over, he swiftly looked through its contents and grinned when he found food, water and an axe. He stuffed a haversack with food and canteens until he could carry no more, then, shouldering the axe, he resumed his journey out of the camp.

He knew that there would guards on patrol around the camp so he did his best to stick to the shadows. Luck was on his side and though there was one near miss, he slipped by and into the forest that surrounded the camp.

Worried only about getting as far away as he could before they knew he was gone, he paid little attention to his direction and sprinted off away from his former captors.

* * *

Gazing from the window in his room in Gallia's palace, Oscar watched the night sky silently.

Having reached the palace, they had been contracted as an escort for Princess Elincia on her journey to Begnion. For a mercenary company, this was a contract of their dreams but he couldn't bring himself to celebrate.

The loss of Boyd weighed heavily upon him, the scene of his death was etched into his mind and his heart ached for his brother. Rolf was sat on the bed behind him, determined to stay as close to his remaining brother as possible, and he stared at the room's walls.

Boyd's death had caused the boy to join them in battle, declaring that he would not sit on the side lines and wait, he wanted to be alongside his family and do everything he could to protect them. Oscar understood, he'd spent much of his life caring for his brothers, but he didn't like his younger sibling being in the midst of battle. Personally, he'd prefer Rolf to stay back where it was safe but Ike had allowed him to fight with them and he'd respect their young commander's decision.

Turning from the window, the knight took one look at Rolf's stony face and slowly walked over to sit beside him. Silently, he wrapped his arms around the boy and pulled him into a comforting hug, knowing what he was wanting.

Such was the way with brothers.

* * *

Boyd had been travelling for days but didn't feel that he'd been making much progress.

Seeing as he wasn't entirely sure where he started from, he didn't know which way he should head to have the best chance of reuniting with his family. In the end, he opted for simply heading south, Gallia was south of Crimea and that was where they were supposed to be.

He saw no other people and there were no roads for him to travel and he guessed that Izuka had deliberately picked a remote location for his camp. This suggested that the mage and his men weren't working for Daein, instead, they seemed to be something of an independent group making him wonder even more what they were trying to achieve.

Faint sounds reached his ears and he stopped and listened.

It was the clanking of armour and he immediately thought of Daein soldiers. Guessing their rough direction, he headed in that direction, thinking he might be able to follow them to a road or settlement where he could find out exactly where he was.

The forest he was in soon thinned out and he lurked at its edges, seeing a road with a small platoon of Daeins moving along it.

They were moving with haste and the fighter heard their commander barking out orders.

"Move it men, we need to reinforce our garrison at the castle and help them beat back the rebel fighters!"

Boyd grinned. If Daein were engaging rebels then he could follow them and join said rebels, at the very least it would place him with allies and he might be able to find his family from there.

He swiftly started to follow them from the forest, hoping that the castle wasn't too far away, and he kept his eyes peeled for signs of their destination.

Very quickly, the castle came into view and his eyes picked out the battle happening just outside its walls. Increasing his speed, he rushed towards those whom the Daein's were engaging only to realise too late the folly of his actions.

It wasn't Crimean rebels, it was Izuka and his mercenaries.

He screeched to a halt and tried to retreat but the soldiers he'd been following had come up behind leaving him trapped between them and the mercenaries. They immediately saw him as a foe and the fighter held his axe ready, knowing that a confrontation was inevitable.

But it never came.

Suddenly, the atmosphere of the battlefield changed, and the charging Daeins faltered and stopped. Looking behind him, Boyd saw both the castle garrison and the mercenaries backing off in fear, their eyes fixed upon Izuka. There was a welling of magic that even he could feel and the air behind the mage darkened and warped.

A bone-chilling clattering was faintly heard, gradually increasing in volume and two parallel lines of flame appeared. Upon these, came a terrifying sight.

A line of wagon like things, running on their own, came out of the warped shadow. They seemed to be made from bone and metal and the front had a horrific, skull-like face that looked like it was screaming.

The hideous monstrosity ran along its fiery tracks, right over Boyd's head and into the Daein soldiers. The impact sent them all flying and he could see many of them writhing in pain when they landed, the demonic creature circled around them, ploughing into the remaining soldiers behind and then vanishing as swiftly as it came.

As shocked as he was, Boyd didn't even hear Izuka yelling at his men to grab him and he suddenly found himself tackled by several men. He attempted to fight back but there were too many and they soon wrest his axe from his grasp and held him.

The moment he was once again captured, Izuka snapped out orders, "Move you fools! We must get away swiftly before more troops arrive!"

As they quickly responded and began dragging him off, Boyd looked back at the devastation the mage had caused and fear gripped him.

* * *

The flight from the castle was a blur of being dragged, pushed and carried and it wasn't until he was being tossed into the back of a cart that Boyd finally got a chance to breath.

This time, they'd made sure to bind him as securely as possible, making sure he wouldn't escape again, and the young fighter struggled into a sitting position. Someone else was tossed into the cart with him and it took him a moment to realise that it was another captive.

The red-headed young man was dressed like a knight but his armour had been removed, leaving only his black undershirt and yellow trousers. He'd been tightly bound as well and he awkwardly sat up to stare at him.

The young fighter spoke first, "Who are you?"

The man answered in a loud, proud voice, "I am Kieran! I serve under General Geoffrey as leader of Crimea's Fifth Platoon."

Boyd winced at the volume of his voice then frowned, "Wait…Kieran? Oscar once told me about a knight called that."

"Oscar!? My great arch-rival, how do you know him?"

"He's my brother."

"Aha! You must be Boyd!" Kieran glanced at the men around them, "But such pleasantries must wait! Do you know why these men would dare attack a Daein controlled castle to take one Crimean knight?"

"No idea." Boyd looked towards where Izuka was heading up the mercenaries, "But the guy in charge has some seriously strange and deadly magic."

"What do you mean?"

The young fighter stared at Kieran in disbelief, "Seriously? You didn't see what he did at the castle!?"

The man postured slightly, "I fought so hard and valiantly when they tried to take me that they were forced to render me unconscious. I only woke up a short while ago."

Boyd looked down worriedly, "Well, it was terrifying and I don't like the fact he seems so interested in us."

The knight smiled, "Do not worry, I, Crimean Royal Knight Fifth Platoon Captain, swear that we'll escape."

Boyd smiled back weakly, "I hope you can deliver on that."

* * *

 _ **PS-So we've now seen Doomtrain from FF VIII and Kieran has appeared. Please let me know what you thought and I'll hopefully update soon.**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's Note:**_

 _ **Hello and sorry for the long gap since the last update. This chapter brings in a couple more characters and sheds some more light on what is going on. Thank you for your follows and favourites and I hope you enjoy the chapter.**_

 _ **I own nothing.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

Boyd tugged at the chains around his wrists, only to find them as sturdy as they appeared.

Once again, he was back in the stone prison at Izuka's main camp, but this time his hands had been chained above his head and, for reasons unknown, he'd been left barefoot and topless. A light clinking indicated that his cell mate was also testing his own chains.

In terms of company, Kieran wasn't a bad person to be imprisoned with. The knight was loud and proud, full of extravagant stories of past exploits and deeds, but he was friendly enough and his tales did fill the long hours of their journey from where they'd been captured to here.

Finding his chains equally unyielding, the man stopped tugging them and declared something along the lines of 'not surrendering, no matter what tortures they concoct'. Personally, Boyd believed that their captors had no desire to torture them, but he didn't know any more about what they actually wanted, which may or may not be worse. The cell door rattled and swung open, to reveal Izuka and the mercenary leader. The latter glowered at Boyd, no doubt angered by his escape, but Izuka seemed more interested in Kieran.

The mage strode over, and the knight spoke up, "Nothing you do will phase me blackguard! I am Kieran…!"

"Silence!"

Instantly, Kieran's sentence was cut short as Izuka's magic took away his voice, and Boyd shot him a sympathetic look, he had warned the man about the mage's abilities, but it seemed the knight had either forgotten or not listened. Their captor paced around the man, clearly searching for something, and he gave an excited exclamation and leaned closer to peer at the top of Kieran's right arm, where it connected to the shoulder.

He began muttering as he examined it, "Yes…yes. It appears to be Pandemona, interesting but not entirely unexpected, I would've thought Alexander or another, similar kind to be more likely." He began frantically rifling through a book he'd brought, "Let's see, Pandemona…wind magic…potentially less powerful than others but more versatile. An excellent find indeed."

He strode away, pausing only to address the mercenary leader, "Give him the potion."

The mercenary huffed, but Izuka paid him little mind as he shuffled out of the cell, muttering away to himself, and the man uncorked a bottle and approached Kieran, "Drink this."

Unceremoniously, he rammed the bottle into the knight's face and poured the contents down his throat, Kieran coughed and spluttered and finally gasped when the bottle's contents were gone, "By Ashera, that's disgusting!"

He blinked in surprise, realising he could speak again, but the mercenary turned from him and pointed his blade at Boyd's face threateningly, "And as for you boy. Don't think you won't be punished for escaping, Izuka has said we can give you a well-deserved beating later, don't give me a reason to make it worse."

With that, he turned and disappeared out of the cell, slamming the door behind him. The moment he was gone, Kieran spoke up, "What was that Izuka babbling about?"

Shrugging as best he could, Boyd answered, "Don't know, when he examined the birthmark on the back of my shoulder, he said something about 'Diablos' and 'gravity magic', I don't know what he's looking for, but it has something to do with my mark."

Kieran frowned, "That's odd because he was examining my birthmark as well."

"So, you have one too?" Boyd frowned, "Do you know anything about it?"

The knight shook his head, "No, my parents died when I was young so if they knew anything, they didn't pass it on to me. Anyone else just assumed it was a birthmark, a couple of people thought I was a Branded but Duke Renning was swift to correct them."

"Well, being mistaking for a Branded is why dad told me to keep it hidden." He sighed, "He said he'd explain more when I was older, but he died before then."

"So, there could be something important about them?"

"Izuka seems to think so." Boyd replied, "And considering his strange magic, I'm sure its something others aren't aware of."

* * *

Somehow, despite the awkward way he was chained, Boyd slipped into slumber, only to be rudely awoken by shouts and roars from outside.

Coming swiftly to wakefulness he found that it had long since turned to night, and that some sort of battle was raging outside. He wondered who'd attacked, Daein, or someone a bit friendlier? Beside him, Kieran was listening intently, and the young mercenary looked to his fellow captive, "Can you tell who's attacking?"

The knight frowned, "Judging from the roars, and the lack of clashing weapons, it sounds like laguz, though I don't know why they're so far from Gallia."

The boy couldn't help but grin, "So they're friendly?"

The older of the two shook his head, "Not for definite, it could be a lone band taking advantage of the ongoing war to attack beorc, the alliance between Gallia and Crimea was pretty much only between the rulers, many laguz still hate us."

Thinking back, Boyd remembered the suspicious way many of the laguz had treated him and the others, Oscar had also told him that relations between the races was tense at best for the most part, despite the peace between the two countries. It stood to reason that there would be beorc-hating, laguz groups out there who'd take the chance to attack a few, after all, there were beorc who'd do the same to the laguz.

The sounds of battle grew closer, and suddenly, the cell door was smashed inwards as a mercenary was sent flying through it, closely followed by a blue-furred cat.

The laguz sniffed the fallen man, then, satisfied he was defeated, looked at them. Its ears twitched in surprise and it quickly slipped back into a familiar, humanoid form.

"Ranulf!"

Boyd remembered him from their brief meeting in Gallia and the cat frowned, "I thought I recognised your smell, Boyd, isn't it? You were with the Greil Mercenaries who accompanied Princess Elincia."

Before he could reply, Kieran cut across him, "Princess Elincia is alive!?"

Ranulf nodded, "Yes, she sought shelter in Gallia and decided to make her way to Begnion to request aid in defeating Daein." He grinned, "But I can explain everything to you both later, let's get you out of here first."

He strode over to Boyd first and grabbed his chains, muttering so quietly, it was barely audible, "Cold touch."

Instantly, he pulled them apart, freeing the boy with little apparent effort, as he did the same for Kieran, Boyd examined the chains in shock. He knew laguz were strong, but he didn't think they were that powerful, looking closely, he saw that the shattered ends looked almost frozen, but Ranulf pulled them away before he could find out for definite.

"Right, let's get you both out of here and into some shirts, neither of you can quite pull off the 'topless warrior' look."

He shifted back into his cat form and nipped on ahead, pausing briefly at the door and then gesturing with his head that it was safe to follow. Hurrying after him, they found that the battle was pretty much over, though they were shocked to see only one other laguz present.

He was much taller and more built than Ranulf, sporting dark hair and a moustache, and he looked down at them with a serious expression, "So we were right, Izuka did have prisoners here." He nodded briefly, "We can do introductions later, for now, let us leave swiftly."

"You will not be going anywhere!"

The voice rang out from nearby, and Izuka dramatically appeared before them, "Sub-humans like yourself cannot possibly comprehend the greatness I am achieving here, I will not allow you to take these two!"

Their rescuer simply took a step towards the mage and Boyd called out a warning, "Watch out! He's got a really powerful kind of magic I've never seen before!"

"There's no need to worry about Master Giffca." a newly shifted Ranulf responded casually, "He's more than a match for Izuka."

At Giffca's approach, Izuka raised his arm, "Ridiculous, a sub-human, no matter how physically strong, cannot match my magic."

Giffca didn't deign to respond, instead, he brought his hands in front of him and punched his right fist against the palm of his left hand, saying only one word.

"Odin."

The ground shook and there came a mighty rumbling of hooves, clouds swirled unnaturally above them, and from within them came a giant, eight-legged horse with a mighty, armoured rider. They galloped down from the sky directly towards Izuka and the rider wielded a massive, double-bladed spear, twirling it effortlessly above his head, the warrior swung it at the cowering mage, cleaving a visible line through the air. Time seemed seem to slow, freezing the slash, and then sped up once more.

The blow sent Izuka flying backwards with a scream, and horse and rider vanished without a trace. Before he could even begin to comprehend what had happened, Boyd found himself grabbed and tossed onto Giffca's back, the laguz had shifted into the form of a large, black lion and he bounded off into the forest, carrying both Kieran and Boyd with little effort.

They soon left Izuka and the camp far behind.

* * *

Dawn had long since broken by the time they finally halted, and it was obvious that Izuka could never catch up to them now.

Boyd and Kieran tumbled off Giffca's back as the lion stopped and changed back to his humanoid form. Scrambling up, Boyd faced him, "What just happened!?"

"Master Giffca summoned Odin to defeat Izuka and rescue you." Ranulf responded nonchalantly as he ambled up to join them, he then tossed the boy a shirt and a pair of boots, "You might want to put these on."

Fumbling to catch the clothing, Boyd stuttered, "Summoned…Odin…what do you mean?"

Giffca spoke calmly, "It would be best if you two get properly dressed, then I can explain properly."

Throwing the shirts and boots on as quickly as possible (ignoring the slight tear where it looked like Ranulf had been carrying them in his mouth), the two boys looked to the lion once more, though tis time, it was Kieran who spoke, "Thank you for your assistance Lord Giffca, but please explain what happened, what did you just do?"

"And why is it so similar to what Izuka did at that castle a few days ago?" Boyd added.

The lion gestured for them to sit before beginning, "Both Izuka and I have a rare gift that has largely gone unnoticed by the rest of Tellius, we are both Summoners."

"Summoners?" Boyd queried.

"Summoners are people who can call upon powerful beings to assist them, they can also use different types of magic depending on their summoning."

"But Lord Giffca." Kieran frowned, "I thought laguz couldn't use magic."

"Actually, there's nothing that says we can't." Ranulf pointed out, "I've just never heard of a laguz trying to use tomes and things." He shrugged, "I guess none have really seen the point, seeing as we naturally can change into powerful beasts and such."

Giffca nodded in agreement, "Ranulf is indeed correct, however, summoning is very different from using tomes or staves." He continued, "Summoners are born, unlike mages and clerics who learn their craft, and every summoner is born with one summoning attached, or 'junctioned', to them. A summoner can use their power to call forth their summoning to aid them and a junctioned summoning grants the ability to use magic based upon the summoning junctioned. Odin, is my summoning."

"That's the massive guy with the horse he called to attack Izuka." Ranulf clarified.

Boyd scratched his head, "So, you've had this ability all your life?"

Giffca nodded, "Indeed, as has Ranulf and you two."

There was a pause, before what he said finally clicked and Boyd jumped up in surprise, "Wait, what!?"

Kieran was equally stunned, "But I've never once shown any inclination to any form of magic my entire life!"

"Nevertheless, you are both summoners, the marks you bear indicate as such." He nodded to Boyd and Kieran in turn, "The mark on the back of your shoulder, and the one on your right arm are both symbols of a summoning. Every summoning has a symbol and when they are junctioned, that symbol appears upon the body of the one who junctioned them. Its similar to what happens when a mage makes a pact with a spirit, though summonings don't consume their summoner's soul." He glanced at Ranulf, "Ranulf, if you would show them yours."

"Of course." The cat took off his odd headband, revealing the previously unseen mark upon his forehead, "This is the symbol of Fenrir, my summoning. He allows me to use a form of ice magic and freeze most things."

"That's how you broke the chains so easily!" Boyd exclaimed, "You froze them first!"

The cat grinned, "I used my 'cold touch' spell, if cold enough, even metal becomes brittle and breakable."

"But why haven't we ever summoned anything before?" Kieran asked.

"Because you've never spoken your summoning's name with intent." Giffca answered, "Until you do that, your powers remain dormant and unusable."

Boyd frowned, was this what his dad was planning to tell him when he was old enough? But how would he know? The whole thing seemed ridiculous, but he'd seen both Giffca and Izuka summon powerful beings, and it would explain why the mage had been so interested them.

Kieran had obviously been thinking something similar, "But I don't even know my summoning's name."

"Mine's Diablos, isn't it?" At Giffca's look of surprise, Boyd shrugged, "Izuka mentioned it when he studied my mark." He glanced at Kieran, "And I think he called yours Pandemona."

Giffca gave them a rare smile, "You are correct, you both have Diablos and Pandemona respectively. It was likely at least one of your parents knew, the gift of summoning can only be inherited. I myself inherited my gift from my father, and he made sure I could recognise the marks of as many other summonings as possible. That is why I recognise yours."

He stood, "Now, it is best we press on for Gallia, it isn't safe here with Daein occupying Crimea, I can teach you more when we're safely back across the border."

* * *

 _ **PS-So, Giffca and Ranulf are both summoners and Boyd and Kieran have just discovered that they are as well. I'll get into the more nitty-gritty of how summoning works next chapter but please let me know what you thought and I'll hopefully update soon.**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Author's Note:**_

 _ **Hello and welcome to another chapter. This time, Boyd and Kieran finally attempt to call their summonings. Thank you those who've shown their support and I hope you enjoy the chapter.**_

 _ **I own nothing.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

It took a couple of days to reach Gallia, but Giffca and Ranulf spoke little on the subject of summoning, despite the fact Boyd and Kieran were both bursting with questions.

Instead, they told them what had happened with Elincia and the Greil Mercenaries so far, Kieran was jubilant that the princess was safe while Boyd was happy that his brothers were unharmed, though he was shocked to learn that Rolf had started to join the fighting. Ranulf told them that they'd all boarded a ship to Begnion, meaning that they were well ahead of them and thus too far away to meet up with anytime soon. Therefore, they had to settle with them all being fine.

Even when they crossed the border, the laguz still wouldn't speak about summoning until they were at the palace and meeting with King Caineghis himself.

* * *

As they entered the throne room, the great lion greeted his right-hand man warmly, "Giffca, I see you have returned, was your mission successful?"

Giffca nodded, "Indeed, Izuka was the one who attacked Canteus Castle." He gestured to the two beorc, "He'd captured these two, but we do not know exactly why, other than they're both summoners."

At this bit of news, Caineghis eyed Boyd and Kieran curiously, "I see." He then smiled, "Welcome to Gallia, both of you. Has Giffca explained what is going on?"

Kieran took on the role of spokesperson, "Not fully your Majesty. Lord Giffca has informed us of summonings and the names of ours, but that is all."

The king frowned, "I see, I do not know much about summoning itself, but I can explain more about Izuka." He paused briefly before continuing, "Izuka once came here to Gallia, searching for summoners like himself, he attempted to kidnap Ranulf, but failed miserably. In the process, he revealed his own summoning power and we thought it best to keep an eye on him. While escorting Elincia and her group, Ranulf discovered his attack on Canteus Castle and we decided to look into it further, that's what led them to rescuing you."

"So, you don't know what Izuka was after?" Boyd asked.

The king shook his head, "I'm afraid not, I assume that only Izuka himself knows the answer to that question." He smiled, "For now, you should rest here in Gallia, you've both been through a lot."

"But, your Majesty!" Kieran cut in, "As a Crimean Knight, I am sworn to protect and serve Princess Elincia, I must follow after her with all haste!"

"And I have to catch up to the others!" Boyd added, "I need to let my brothers know I'm okay!"

Caineghis burst out laughing, "I knew you'd both respond as such. Have no fear, I merely meant you should rest for a while, so you're fully prepared for your journey." He became serious, "Also, do you not think it best to know how to use your summonings before you set off. Giffca can teach you how to use your gifts, and I'm sure they will greatly assist you."

At his words, Boyd fell silent, but Kieran bowed, "Your Majesty, you show great wisdom and kindness. Thank you for your hospitality."

The lion chuckled, "It's nothing, young knight."

Giffca re-entered the conversation, "I'll have someone show you to your rooms, tomorrow, I'll start training you both."

* * *

As far as Boyd was concerned, dawn was a hideous time to be up, but that was what Giffca asked of them.

So, he stood bleary eyed outside the gates of Castle Gallia, waiting alongside Kieran for the lion summoner to appear. He yawned widely, only for his companion to clip him round the head.

"Ow! What was that for?"

The far-too-wide-awake knight glowered at him reproachfully, "Lord Giffca will be joining us any minute, you cannot show such disrespect by yawning at him!"

The young mercenary rubbed the back of his head tiredly, "But that's no reason to hit me!"

"I see you are both here."

Giffca's timely arrival prevented Kieran from replying, as he greeted their host with an over-the-top bow instead, "Lord Giffca!"

Boyd quickly stifled another yawn and produced a somewhat understandable grunt, "Morn'ng."

Kieran rounded on him, "That's no way to greet him." He turned back to the lion, "I'm deeply sorry for him Lord Giffca."

The laguz merely chuckled, "Do not fear young knight, I am not offended. He is a teenager and they don't do mornings, I remember all to well when Ranulf was similar." He strode past them, "Now then, let us be off. Ranulf will be meeting us at the place I taught him to use his abilities, we'll begin your lessons there."

* * *

The training place was actually a large clearing, deep in Gallia's forest, some way off the usual routes used by the laguz.

Ranulf was there waiting for them and he grinned at them, "And you're here! I can't wait to see what your summonings look like."

Giffca nodded, "Hopefully, we'll all discover that before this day is through." He turned to the two beorc, "Before we begin, allow me to explain clearly how summonings work."

As he spoke, his deep voice pulled their attention, and they both gave him their full focus.

"As I said before, summonings are beings that are attached, or 'junctioned' to a summoner, they grant their summoner the ability to both call upon them, as well as use magic. That magic entirely depends upon the summoning, and as each summoning is unique, so is the magic they provide, and every summoner is born with at least one summoning already junctioned." He quickly checked they were still listening before continuing, "However, a summoner has to call their summoning at least once before their abilities are truly awakened, if they do not do this vital step, they are no different from anyone else. Today, you will call upon your summoning for the first time."

He looked to the younger laguz, "Ranulf, if you would."

The cat grinned again, "Of course." He moved a little further away before speaking to the others, "In principle, calling your summoning is relatively easy, you simply speak their name with the intent of having them appear before you. However, when you first call them, you might want to take some form of stance to help channel your thinking into the task."

He took several more steps back and slammed his right fist against his left palm, as Giffca had done before, speaking commandingly, "Fenrir!"

A form of darkness fell over them, and a chilling wind howled past. The ground shook slightly as a huge paw stood upon it, closely followed by three more, and a giant wolf prowled into the clearing. It threw its mighty head back and gave a great howl that shook the air, resounding into the sky above. It looked down upon the two beorc and gave a huff, " _Now that I've seen you with my own eyes, you two really don't look that impressive._ "

Its mouth didn't move, but Boyd could swear that the strange voice came from the wolf, as he and Kieran gaped, it seemed to grin, " _The looks on your faces, priceless. Guess you didn't know that we summonings could speak._ "

He crouched down and brought his face close to them, causing them to involuntarily step back, and he grinned even more, " _And you're both warrior types, even better. Right now, you're both wetting your smalls and trying very hard to act like you're not scared, its hilarious!_ " He stood up and laughed, then turned to Ranulf, " _Well kitty-cat, I better head off before I drain too much of your power. Have fun teaching them._ "

"Don't call me kitty-cat!"

Apparently ignoring Ranulf's response, Fenrir walked away and slowly vanished into a mist that quickly dispersed. The wolf gone, Ranulf turned to his audience, "And that's how you call a summoning. However, you should note that keeping your summoning in the world constantly drains you, that's why Fenrir couldn't stay long, I would've collapsed if he did." He grinned, "Any questions?"

Silence reigned for a long time, as both beorc continued to gape at where Fenrir had just been. Eventually, Boyd managed to regain the power of speech, "So, summonings can talk?"

Giffca nodded, "Yes, even when they are not present in this world, they can speak within the mind of their summoner, and while they can't actually disobey a direct order, you must remember that they are as sentient as you. This is vital for you to learn, summonings aren't tools, they're allies and should be treated as such."

"Even if they call you by nicknames you didn't ask for." Ranulf added, he then glowered at nothing in particular, "I never agreed to being called 'kitty-cat' and you know it!"

Kieran stared at him in confusion, "Are you speaking to Fenrir?"

The cat grinned, "Yes, sorry about that, while I can talk with him anytime I want, other people can't hear what he says unless he's been summoned. It can get a little embarrassing when I'm so embroiled in a conversation with him, I don't notice other people around me thinking I'm going crazy and talking to myself."

Giffca frowned, "Although both me and Ranulf are summoners, only the King and the elders are aware of this fact, many laguz would find our abilities frightening, or too similar to beorc magic. As such, we thought it best to keep our gifts from the general populace."

"So, most laguz don't know." Boyd clarified.

"Indeed." The lion answered, "And it is likely for the best that you keep your gifts hidden for the time being." He coughed, "Anyway, we digress. Now you have seen Ranulf summon Fenrir, perhaps you would wish to attempt to call your own summonings."

He looked between them both, "Kieran, you first."

"Yes, Lord Giffca."

The knight strode over to where Ranulf had just stood, and faced them. Giffca spoke confidently, "Now then, your summoning is Pandemona, speak his name with the intent to call him, if you wish to copy Ranulf's stance to help you get into the mindset, then do so."

Kieran stood there, taking several deep breaths, then, he slowly widened his stance and copied Ranulf's actions, speaking in a voice that was barely audible, "Pandemona."

Nothing happened.

The knight slowly glanced around, and then looked to Giffca in embarrassment, the lion merely smiled, "Do not worry young knight, it sometimes takes more than one attempt. You're not speaking with enough conviction, believe that Pandemona will come and you will find that he will. Try again."

Once again, Kieran took a stance and replicated Ranulf's actions, speaking more confidently, "Pandemona!"

Still, nothing happened, but Giffca merely said two words, "Once more."

This time, Kieran took a deep breath, closed his eyes, then snapped them open as he slammed his right foot down and punched his right hand into his left palm, shouting his summoning's name, "PANDEMONA!"

This time, there was a low howl of wind, and a tornado spiralled down from the sky. Gale-force winds whipped around them, and a large figure dropped down in the centre of the maelstrom. The moment it landed, the wind dispersed to reveal a strange being.

Though it seemed humanoid in shape, it had little else in common with them, its upper body was covered in strange, purple fur-like feathers, which gave way to blue skin at its ankles. Its head had three yellow, eye-like things upon it and on its right shoulder were the openings of three tubes which ran down its back to a rounded, stretchy looking tail. All in all, Pandemona looked bizarre when compared to Odin or Fenrir, who'd at least been giant versions of something recognisable.

As the summoning towered over them, Ranulf remarked out loud, "So that's what Pandemona looks like!"

Kieran simply gaped at his summoning, and the being crouched down towards him, " _So, you've finally called me. Let's get a proper look at you._ " It reached out with one of its hands, and Kieran had no time to react before it picked him up.

"Wait, what are you doing!?"

Pandemona ignored him and brought the knight close to his head, he examined Kieran for a moment then finally spoke once more, " _Well, you seem to be more of a warrior than I'd have thought you'd be, but that makes something of a nice change. Though you are remarkably cute and puppy-like as well._ " He carefully put Kieran back down, " _It'll be a pleasure to work with you._ "

He briefly patted the bewildered knight on the head before vanishing in a rush of wind, and Kieran turned to the others, "Okay…so now what?"

He suddenly stumbled sideways, but Ranulf was quick to catch him, the cat smiled, "Now, you take a break and rest, summoning Pandemona will have really drained you, so you should really sit down for a bit and maybe talk to him now you've awakened your powers properly."

"Talk to him?"

"Yes." The laguz grinned, "Now you've summoned him once, Pandemona should be able to speak to you in your mind, the best thing to do now is have a good old-fashioned conversation with him."

As Ranulf led Kieran over to the side, Giffca turned to Boyd, "Now it is your turn."

The young mercenary nodded, then walked slowly to the centre of the clearing. Taking several deep breaths, he focused himself. He could do this, as Giffca said to Kieran, he only had to believe that Diablos would come. Taking another breath, he clenched his fist, then clashed them together, "Diablos."

As with Kieran, nothing happened.

Giffca merely nodded at him, "Again."

Once more, Boyd took several deep breaths, readied himself, and punched his fists together.

"Diablos!"

The moment he spoke, he felt something within him shift, and he felt the build-up of power, even before any sign of it appeared. He looked up and saw Diablos come.

From all directions, bats swarmed into the sky above him, they flew and melded together, rapidly forming a great, black ball. Slowly, the ball warped and shifted, gradually moulding into another shape altogether. It formed wings and limbs, and a thin body surmounted by a sinister head, parts of it turned red as a long tail stretched out from the forming body.

Soon, Diablos' form was clear.

In a word, Diablos was demonic. His limbs seemed too long for his lithe, black and red body, each hand baring five lethal looking claws, his face was evil-looking, with a pair of piercing, yellow eyes and bared fangs. The tail was long and whip-like, lashing about as if it had a mind of its own and it maintained flight with a huge pair of bat-like wings, that flapped mightily.

He looked down upon Boyd, and an unimpressed expression crossed his face, " _So, you are my summoner?_ " He frowned, " _I wonder if you have what it takes to handle my magic boy._ "

He smirked, " _Time will tell._ "

With that last remark, Diablos burst into a cloud of bats, which swarmed up into the sky and disappeared. Exhaustion filled Boyd, and he stumbled forward into Ranulf's waiting arms, the laguz helped him over to where Kieran was sitting, remarking as he did so, "So, that was Diablos. He seems like a very hard to please type of guy."

"Diablos apparently grants the use of space-time magic." Giffca responded, "It is said to be a very different type to use when compared to most, and very tricky to master. He'll know this, so it is not surprising that he's reserving judgement."

The lion smiled, "However, you have both managed to call your summonings, that is more than enough for today. We can resume training tomorrow."

" _And we'll see if you have what it takes._ "

Boyd jumped at the voice in his head, then frowned, "Diablos?"

" _Yes boy, it is me._ " Diablos continued, " _Tomorrow, when your power is recovered, we'll see just how much potential you have. As the lion says, my magic is not like the magic of others, it may take a long time for you to learn how to use it properly._ "

He paused briefly before finishing.

" _I'm curious to see how you do._ "

* * *

 _ **PS-So, they were both successful. Next time, we'll see them learning how to use their magic. Please let me know what you thought and I'll hopefully update soon.**_


End file.
